Congressional candidates in the 4th and 9th districts were split along party lines Thursday in their reactions to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act.

Will Richmond

Congressional candidates in the 4th and 9th districts were split along party lines Thursday in their reactions to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act.

For many of the Republicans seeking to gain a seat on Capital Hill, the 5-4 ruling in favor of the act is a misdirected decision by the court. It’s a decision they also vowed to repeal if elected.

“I respect the rule of law in our country, and I, therefore, have respect for the opinion of the Supreme Court on the Affordable Care Act, more commonly referred to as ‘Obamacare.’ However, I also respectfully disagree that Obamacare is the right way to reform health care in our nation.

“If I am elected to Congress, I look forward to joining together with other, like-minded representatives to repeal Obamacare. I will also join with my colleagues to find smart solutions to the health care issues we still face as a nation, things such as tort reform to control costs and allowing people to purchase health insurance plans across state lines,” said 9th District Republican candidate Adam Chaprales.

While also calling for the act to be repealed, 4th District Republican Elizabeth Childs offered a series of suggestions for retooling the act “to create a workable, bipartisan health care solution for all Americans.” Among Childs’ suggestions is giving states the ability to create health care programs. Having aided in the creation of Massachusetts’ plan while serving as the state’s commissioner of mental health under Gov. Mitt Romney, Childs said she recognized not all aspects of the commonwealth’s plan would work for every state.

Stronger language came from Childs’ Republican competitor David Steinhof, who said the ruling is the latest step toward turning the country into a socialist state.

“Mark my words, the president, if not stopped by you and me, right now, will not hesitate to use any tool at his disposal, including our own military, on the people of the United States,” Steinhof said. “For history has shown that government abuses of religion, health care and the printing of currency with total impunity are the first signs of a budding tyranny.

“The abuses never happen all at once. But if the American people continue to accept abuses against our Constitution, we will once again face tyranny full-blown.”

Also running for the 4th District, Republican Sean Bielat said real health care reform is needed and voiced concern the current act will limit economic development within the medical industry.

“The White House chose to limit job growth and medical advancement exactly when our country needs it most,” Bielat said. “Those are two pillars of American prominence. I will fight for reform that boosts our economy, puts people to work, increases research and improves the quality of care. The president chose to ignore these goals.”

Running in the 9th District, Republican Christopher Sheldon said the ruling is a reminder for voters that it is time to remove Democrats from office.

“While I am disappointed in the Court’s ruling today, I am confident that by replacing politicians like Congressman (Bill) Keating, we will ultimately do what is right for the physical and fiscal health of our country, which is repealing and dismantling Obamacare in its entirety,” Sheldon said. “Today’s ruling served to add an additional undue burden on hardworking Americans in the form of another unnecessary tax. Our country is in dire need of reasonable solutions to remedy our health care system, and this is why I support efforts to increase the incentives for individuals to purchase their own insurance, creating competition among insurance companies and driving down overall costs.”

As Republican candidates were calling for the immediate revocation of the act, Democrats running for office described the ruling as a victory.

“Today’s decision is a victory for this country — for our seniors who won’t have to make the tragic choice between food and medicine, for people with pre-existing conditions who won’t get turned away by insurance companies, and for young adults who won’t get thrown off their parents’ policies,” 4th District Democrat Joseph Kennedy III said. “The decision allows us to build on the remarkable progress we have made so far and brings us closer to what my uncle spent his career fighting for — the idea that health care is not just a basic need, but also a basic right.”

While the two Democrats in the 9th District, Bill Keating and Sam Sutter, have not seen eye-to-eye on many issues, both said the Supreme Court made the right decision.

“I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision and commitment to upholding the principles of the Constitution,” Keating said. “Today’s discussions, however, as to the court’s rationale and the political ramifications of this decision are of little consequence to me so long as coverage is expanded, costs are lowered and our citizens receive the best possible care.”

Sutter agreed that ensuring health care for all citizens is the most important aspect of the decision.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care legislation is a great victory for the American people,” Sutter said. “This law will help provide health insurance coverage to the tens of millions of U.S. citizens who are currently uninsured. Access to affordable, quality health care is something that every American deserves. And this ruling was a significant step toward that goal.”

Saying he does support some aspects of the act, such as coverage for pre-existing conditions and allowing children to remain on a parent’s plan until the age of 26, unenrolled 9th District candidate Daniel Botelho said he was surprised the court upheld the mandate section of the law.

“I’m not completely pleased,” Botelho said. “There needs to be a full repeal to start over that focuses on reducing costs.”

While much of Thursday’s focus was on the court’s ruling, one candidate, 4th District Democrat Rachel Brown, said people should be focusing on other things.

“I think it’s kind of irrelevant to talk about this with the eurozone about to collapse this weekend,” Brown said.

Brown also called the decision a diversion from the attempts to remove President Barack Obama from office.